


Snow Day

by Firekitten



Category: RWBY
Genre: Lots of cuteness ahead, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23903944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firekitten/pseuds/Firekitten
Summary: Qrow’s having a bad day. Clover and Ruby might just have the solution to cheer him up.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 79





	Snow Day

**Author's Note:**

> My fanfiction entry written for the Shipwreckedfanzine! If you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend looking up the tumblr blog!

☘~☘~☘~☘~☘~☘

The vials of dust jingled softly inside the case as it was set down beside the dozens and dozens of others that had made it here on the multitude of trips before it. Clover straightened up, rolling out the ache in his shoulder as he announced, “Alright, that’s the last one.”

“Finally.” Qrow’s response was distant in the hall. While he didn’t have a problem carrying some of the load into Amity Arena, he absolutely refused to go into what he called ‘an explosion waiting to happen’.

Penny clapped her hands together, looking positively thrilled. “Oh, splendid. I cannot wait to tell the general that we were 12.5% more efficient on today’s run.”

“I’m pretty sure all he needs to know is we succeeded.” Ruby offered as they all headed out of the room.

Qrow glanced at them from where he was leaning against the wall. “Nah, add it to the report. Bet Jimmy loves hearing about how his tin soldiers are becoming more efficient.”

A retort was on Clover’s tongue, but Penny beat him to it. “But I’m not made of tin. I’m made of 100% carbonite steel. See?” She hit her head, the hollow ring echoing almost eerily down Amity’s empty halls.

Clover almost couldn’t contain a laugh over the flabbergasted look on the other man’s face or the way he mumbled, “Not what I meant kid.”

He turned back to the door to set the security locks, before ushering his team on down the hall. As they stepped outside, he could see Penny’s calculations appeared correct. Usually, between the round trip, off-loading, and handling any Grimm encounters along the way, they didn’t get back until well past sunset. However, from the position of the sun, they were definitely going to be returning with some light still in the sky.

“Alright,” He turned to the team, “We’ll do a quick perimeter check before heading back. Penny, Qrow, go ahead and do an aerial sweep. Ruby and I will handle the ground.”

“Affirmative, sir!” Penny saluted before taking off, all smiles.

In contrast, Qrow just waved him off with a flippant, “Yeah, Yeah.” Before he burst into feathers and a bird took flight.

He watched him go, pursing his lips some before glancing at the smaller girl beside him. “He’s in quite a mood today, isn’t he?”

Ruby just seemed sympathetic. “Yeah, he gets like that. Dad used to call them ‘Uncle Qrow’s Grumpy Days’.”

He snorted softly. Yeah, that about covered it alright. “What do you say we do something about it?”

Mischievousness glinted in her silver eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

☘~☘~☘~☘~☘~☘

It was a fortunate thing that Ruby’s semblance was speed – as it was the only reason they were able to clear the perimeter in record time while also setting up for their ambush.

Clover had not made a snow fort since he was eight and it looked about as well-crafted as it had been back then, with uneven walls and a section on the verge of complete collapse. Meanwhile, Ruby was getting their snowball supply ready, stacking them up like firewood piles in every corner of their little fortress. Busy as they were, he almost missed the report of Penny’s rocket boots blasting through the air.

“They’re coming back!” Clover warned.

In a flurry of petals, Ruby was gone, already standing at attention in front of the truck. Clover hopped over a wall, jogging over to join her, both of them trying to take a casual stance by leaning back against the front bumper and taking on the air that they’d been waiting an excruciating amount of time. Ruby hammed it up even more when they landed, bemoaning loudly, “What took you guys so long? We finished forever ago.”

“I apologize, I will work on my speed!” Penny said with a nod.

“Don’t bother tin-can, you’ll never be up to this pipsqueak’s standards.” Qrow rolled his eyes, but it was hard to deny the absolute fondness of his tone.

“I am still not made of tin.”

“I- uh, nevermind.”

Clover pushed off the truck, cutting in, “Anything unusual to report?”

“Nothing to the east and northern sides for at least three miles.” The living android detailed.

Qrow’s was even more succinct: “Nah. We can move out.” before he slunk on by, heading for the back of the truck.

Clover shared a knowing look with Ruby. She nodded, speeding after her uncle and slowing his gait by getting in front of him. He took up the rear of their group, fingers twitching with anticipation as he waited for the moment.

“So, Uncle Qrow!” The huntress chirped, walking backwards as she spoke with him, all open smiles as if she wasn’t planning to utterly deceive him. “Yang was telling me this really good joke the other day, wanna hear it?”

“Sure kiddo, lay it on me.”

“Knock, knock!”

“Oh gods.” He groaned.

“Uncle!”

“Okay, _fine_. Who’s there?”

“Snowball.”

“Snowball, who?”

Hearing his cue, Clover had Kingfisher out and extended in one swift movement, throwing its line towards their fort and, with just a little bit of luck, snagged one of the snowballs on its hook. With a hard yank, the ball went up and flying through the air – and perfectly nailed Qrow right in the side of his face.

Ruby burst into laughter as she pointed at him. “Snowball you!!”

Slowly, Qrow rose a hand to his face, wiping off the flakes of ice stuck to his cheekbone and hair. Then, with a predatory deliberateness, he turned on his heels, catching each of their eyes, and declared war: “You both are going down.”

Still guffawing up a riot, Ruby sped away for their fort while Clover hooked another snowball on his weapon.

“Wait, what’s going on? Are we fighting?” Penny asked in confusion.

“I’ll explain in a second kid, we got to find cover!” Qrow grabbed her wrist, ducking under his and Ruby’s combined fire as they ran around the truck.

He took the opportunity to join Ruby in the fort, the girl already hard at work at making more ammo. He took one from the pile, placing it on the end of Kingfisher. “Watch this.” With a flick to his pendant and a swing of his arm, he lobbed the snowball up and over the truck.

A second later they heard Qrow’s angry squawk. “HEY!!”

Ruby’s eyes lit up like stars. “We’re going to _destroy_ them.”

He just laughed, readying for the retaliation.

☘~☘~☘~☘~☘~☘

The terrain had become a battlefield.

Ruby was a whirlwind of terror, zipping around Penny at high speeds, throwing volleys of snowballs in rapid succession before hurrying away for cover.

The android didn’t take the abuse lying down though, circling her swords in a windmill pattern to collect snow piles on their ends, before shooting missiles of snow in their direction.

Clover covered his head under the icy shower, racing across the field for his own target who was loaded up on snowball ammo. With a war cry on his lips and his fishing rod swinging low, he struck, but his attack missed completely as Qrow disappeared into feathers. He squinted against the sun as the other flew up high only to nosedive down, transforming again halfway down and pelting him from above.

“Ah, what?! You keep them between transformations? That’s unfair!” He cried, protecting his face as the other landed right in the path of his escape route.

“Better luck next time!” Qrow gloated in triumph as he continued his merciless assault.

Over his makeshift shield of arms, Clover could see the bright grin on his face and fell in love with the way it made his eyes light up like gemstones. He could have stared forever – but he had a game to win.

As Qrow’s ammunition ran low, he made his move, skirting to the left and plucking one of the flying snowballs on his hook. He spun around with all the grace of an ice skater and at the end of his full rotation, struck the other huntsman in the face with it. Another swing and this time, he had his ankle caught.

With a yank, Qrow went tumbling into the snowbanks, a breathless laugh leaving him.

The noise was so unexpectedly nice, Clover forgot himself as he allowed himself a moment to just listen – and quickly became the victim of one of Penny’s snowy waterfalls.

“Penny, you’re supposed to make them into a ball!” Ruby called from the only remaining wall of their fortress that had survived thus far.

“Oh, got it! Be right back!” She said before taking off towards the tundra.

“Uhhh, okay!?” Confused but knowing an opportunity when it presented itself, Ruby’s gaze slid to the only combatant left.

So did Clover’s, smirk growing.

Qrow blinked as the gravity of the situation fell on him. “Uh oh.”

They all scrambled for the snow, but the little huntress was the fastest, pelting her uncle with a fast ball to the gut and a curveball to the leg. He tried his best to retaliate, only to wind up tangled in Kingfisher’s line as Clover dragged him forward and cruelly shoved a handful of ice down the back of his shirt, drinking in his angry screeches. Then Ruby was there again, piling even more snow on his tattered cape and throwing it up over his head like a reverse poncho.

“Okay, that’s it!” The fishing line was suddenly empty as Qrow morphed out of it, somersaulting through the air only to land as a human several feet away, Harbinger in hand. He twisted it back, changing its form mid-spin, and burying the curving blade of the scythe into the snow. He swung it towards them and a wave of ice followed.

Clover ducked and rolled under the torrent, leaping forward to try and entangle the wild fighter while Ruby zipped around to get him from behind, her own weapon out now. He had just managed to hook Kingfisher into the hole near the base of Harbinger’s blade when a shadow darkened the area around them.

They all looked up, wary.

And then blanched.

“Snowball acquired! Targets locked!” Penny declared proudly as she effortlessly held the jet plane-sized ball above her head. “Probability of winning: 100%.”

“Uhhh-! Penny!” Ruby shouted futilely.

“Goodbye.” She smiled cheerily as she threw the weapon of mass destruction their way.

Clover saw Ruby dash one way.

Qrow the other.

He shut his eyes and accepted his fate.

☘~☘~☘~☘~☘~☘

Even with the heater going full blast, there was a lingering chill in the truck as they headed back home. Clover rummaged through the crate where they kept the supplies, pulling out the first blanket he could find and heading to the front so he could drape it over Ruby’s shivering shoulders.

“T-T-Thanks.” She said around chattering teeth.

As he walked away, he heard Penny ask, “So, was I a good combatant in the snowball fight?”

“Y-You were the b-b-b-best!”

Their words faded into background noise as Clover continued his search, shoving aside water bottles, unperishable food rations, clothes, flares and other items. “Oh.” He said once he’d hit the bottom of the box.

“Problem?” Qrow asked from where he was sitting back against one of the walls, rubbing his arms for warmth.

“Well.” Clover rose out the only blanket left as way of explanation.

One fine eyebrow rose. “You gotta be kidding me.” For a second, he thought he was bemoaning their circumstances – until he added, “You’re pulling _that_ trick on me?”

He coughed down a laugh. “You’re giving me more credit than I deserve. Though,” He didn’t hold back a flirtatious smile, “Won’t complain about fortunate circumstances.”

The other huntsman rolled his eyes, fighting down his own smile. “Just get over here.”

And really, there just was no denying that command, was there? Clover settled down beside him, spreading the blanket between them. They had to press in close, everything from their shoulders to their hips touching with an undeniably tender warmth.

Qrow tugged his end a little tighter, lent a little more weight onto him. “You know what? I reject what you said.”

He looked down towards the head of black hair rested comfortably against his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“About this being fortunate circumstances. You give your semblance credit for everything. But this one?” He pointed a thumb at himself, smug. “This one’s all mine.”

Clover’s mind tripped over itself to process what he’d just heard. In the rare instances Qrow would talk about his semblance, it was always with dejected contempt. But today, there was a hint of pride there. A sign that things were changing for the better.

“Yeah.” He agreed, taking a gamble and resting his own cheek against Qrow’s hair. “This one’s yours.”

When no protest came, Clover shut his eyes and smiled.

In more ways than one, things were changing.


End file.
